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DRAFT - Meeting Minutes
March 5, 2015
7:06 pm
120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Attendees: John Hayes, Jeff Cohen, John Hayes, Cindy Keegan, Rishi Nandi, Jeff Elie
Absent: J. Barz Snell, Rick Nye
Public in Attendance: Craig Thomas (prospective member – applied)
Meeting Minutes approval/review:
- January 2015 draft minutes with slight modifications by John Hayes, 1st by Jeff Cohen, 2nd, by John Hayes, unanimous approval.
Introduction – We each introduced ourselves, background, & years on the RETF to Craig Thomas.
- Climate change report: is being used thru planning dept. for some green infrastructure under grant- partnering with Salem Sound Coastwatch for site locations.
- Streetlight program: still moving forward. Planning to do some trial lights and will inform us to review and give comment. City Council was updated. Purchasing in early April, end of July finish install.
- Green Communities Project: Grant report submitted- all project completed. Eligible for next round: school LED exterior lighting (Eligible for $250K). Considering Energy management system for Bentley- but it would be different than other schools programs at the moment. Didn’t hit 20% reduction from baseline year ( 2009) - mostly due to high heating rates last year (as was the case for most communities). Biggest hurdle is fuel usage for vehicles also preventing 20% target.
General Discussion
- RETF By-laws discussion – Revising and finalizing draft by-laws edited from last meeting. Discussed slight modifications to wording of the mission statement, but no substantive changes to bylaws. Notes taken. (see attached)
- RETF sponsored events for the year - Earth Day events, Living Green fair?, Renewable Energy open houses?, Halloween Parade, public meetings. Chamber has contacted SSU with some potential dates in September for some type of LivingGreen fair where the schools green buildings could also be featured.
- Footprint/CLF Renewable Energy Grant Money – Discuss projects eligible to be used with money. Possible projects include wind turbine feasibility study update , solar PV installations on City property, anaerobic digestion, and fuel cells. $2M is available under this program but with constraints for the projects eligible that don’t best leverage where money is needed. For instance funding for solar is not a high priority to use from this grant since the rate is quite low at the moment ($3 per watt- commercial solar), and thus they are easily financed. Would be more helpful if the funds could be used for more creative projects such as micro-grids that would also for stability from climate events or similar type improvements that are harder to finance. The projects under consideration are:
- Potential project with MAPC – geothermal for municipal buildings
- Barrego/BlueWave reviewed larger scale Solar options – instead floating idea of doing solar on all 22 roofs, including fixing roofs first as single bid.
- Solar Salem discussion and next steps – Jeff Cohen, Salem Solar Coach, will update the committee on working with Salem Alliance for the Environment(SAFE) on a new SAFE Solar Salem program that brings more residential and commercial solar installations to Salem – Solar Purchases, PPAs, and Community Solar. MOU with SAFE on Sunday and start on Monday – referral will go to SAFE, with formula with cap salary. Residential, larger residential, and community solar vendors to be identified.
- CGE – unique community solar projects – financing is from local suppliers (municipal aggregation) and thus purchase the energy. For instance this would allow community members to help finance a school array from local homes that can’t do solar, and then they get a better deal on energy.
Calendaring/Event Planning:
- March 17 @ 8am with Paul Tucker on Fuel Divestment
- March – Solar program with SAFE kickoff
- SSU Monday April 13- earth day poster judges needed– 11:00am
- Living Green Fair – September TBD.
- Earth Day/Clean up – 1st weekend of May – consider possible joint involvement with Recycling Committee activities being planned.
- Consider speaker series.
Key Decisions:
Action Items (new):
- Cindy Keegan to send out draft meeting minutes to all.
- Cindy Keegan to send to Jeff Elie for posting final January meeting minutes.
- Cindy Keegan to send modified Bylaws/mission to all.
Jeff Elie to post final January meeting minutes & draft meeting minutes.
Jeff Elie to seek legal review of bylaws/mission prior to next meeting if possible.
All members to review bylaws for any final comments to allow for voting at next meeting.
Action Items (outstanding):
- All members to consider committee name changes and circulate prior to, or bring to, next meeting for incorporation into bylaws.
Action Items (completed):
- Rishi Nandi to send mission statement modification suggestions to all members.
- Cindy Keegan to make modifications as agreed to December minutes for final version, draft minutes for this meeting& bylaw changes and send to all members.
Future Meetings
- Next meeting will be held on March 19, 2015 at 7pm.
Adjournment: 8:49pm
Know Your Rights Under the Open Meeting Law, M.G.L. c. 39 §23B, and
City Ordinance Sections 2-2028 through 2-2033
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